Marriage is Permanent

Then the Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him. And He answered them saying, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery” (Mark 10: 2-12.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The religious leaders asked Jesus a controversial question concerning divorce (controversial even today.) They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” Jesus’ answered ‘No.’ He then referred to Adam and Eve as an example of God’s divine will concerning marriage. In ‘the beginning,’ God created two people; Adam and his wife Eve. They were created for one another; God intended them to be one inseparable person; one being, in eternal fellowship with Him. They longed for one another and had no desire to be apart. Divorce is not God’s creation [Although God did not create divorce, according to Jesus, He allows it in only one instance. Sexual immorality, such as adultery, is a just cause for divorce.] The bond between a husband and wife is sacred; and if broken, produces a plethora of eternal consequences.

Every human being alive today is the product of the union between two people. When the first cell is formed in the womb, it carries with it, all of the information necessary to create a person. Half of the instructions come from the mother, and half come from the father. The child may have the father’s eyes, but the mother’s hair; their mannerisms and behaviors will partially reflect either parent in some way. Imagine attempting to separate the child in two; ‘half of Dad over there; half of Mom over here.’ Can a human being be divided in such a way and still hope to live? No; any attempt at separation would surely result in death. When two people get divorced they are trying to separate what cannot be separated. Sadly, many married couples choose to divide and in turn they choose death rather than life.

Today, anyone seeking to be married should understand that there is no turning back; there is no ‘jumping ship;’ there is no dividing what God has made one. Divorce for any reason other than sexual immorality leads to death. Although marriage is meant to be a blessing and a gift from the Lord, at times it can be challenging and extremely difficult; despite the challenges however, it is most certainly permanent; it is a contract that can never be broken. So take the time to consider what marriage means before you enter into an eternal union with another human being.

“Lord Heavenly Father, please give those who are married the strength to continue forward in love with their eternal partners; may they understand the permanence of their marriage vows. Also, provide those of us who are not married with wisdom in choosing our future wives and husbands. Lord, continue to guide Your children; that those who love You may avoid the snares of death, and the tragedy and misery of divorce. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.